Cooperation At the Heart of One Small Community’s Success

Community is crucial

  Community — pulling together collectively to affect real change — is often the key in small town turn-arounds. In this informative article written by Spotify’s Dayna Winter, we’re introduced to Almonte, Ontario, a town of 5,000 that has managed to revitalize itself through developing a collaborative consensus around development.   Small towns exist in snow…

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Rural Schools Matter — a Brief Summary

Rural schools matter — a small town without a school is often a community without hope. This brief BC Rural Centre summary will be of interest to anyone who cares about the future of rural towns and villages whose schools are threatened with closure.     For a more in-depth look at the issue of…

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The Arts & Rural Revitalization

On November 28, 2017, the BC Rural Centre hosted its first-ever webinar, on the topic of the arts and rural renewal. Sarah Calhoun of White Sulphur Springs, Montana, and John Davis of Lanesboro, Minnesota discussed their respective experiences in helping bring positive change to small, remote communities.     Sarah Calhoun Sarah has been called…

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Arts and Rural Renewal

arts and rural renewal

Sarah Calhoun of White Sulphur Springs, Montana, and John Davis of Lanesboro, Minnesota discussed their respective experiences in helping bring positive change to small, remote communities.     Sarah Calhoun Sarah has been called a “revolutionary figure in rural business today,” and a “powerhouse of inspiration for women in business.” Her dynamic style and inspiring…

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New Denver/Silverton Report Summary Released

New Denver/Silverton

New Denver/Silverton were recently the unsuspecting hosts for a contingent of “secret visitors” from Kaslo, who spent an October day checking out everything from the highway entrances to the two villages, to their take on the local economy. The project, called First Impressions, was carried out under the auspices of the BC Rural Centre with…

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Attracting Young People to Rural Communities

Attracting young people is important

Attracting young people is one of the toughest challenges facing rural communities. The outflow of young people from rural to urban hits small towns and rural regions in a variety of ways, including stripping communities of badly needed tax revenue, threatening the viability of local schools, depressing local and regional economies, and stripping fraying towns…

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Café Culture Comes to Rural Ontario

Cafe culture comes to rural Ontario

Café culture stirs the pot in rural Bath   One of the first things young people look for when considering a move from an urban centres to a rural setting is the availability of great places to eat & drink. When Lauren Gamble returned to rural Ontario after working in Australia for a number of…

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Rural Revitalization, Iowa-Style

Rural renewal is well underway in Earlham, Iowa

  Rural revitalization Iowa-style. There are plenty of small towns badly in need of economic and social renewal across North America. Earlham, Iowa was one of them. Through a combination of community resilience and tenacity, and newcomers of means who seem to have truly understood — and respected — the local culture, Earlham is poised…

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Ants in your pants? Red Ants Pants founder Sarah Calhoun speaks out!

  Do you have ants in your pants? Sarah Calhoun does. Or rather Sarah has created a successful clothing business, foundation, and music festival, all under the catchy title of Red Ants Pants. Sarah has nearly two decades of leadership experience in both the non-profit and small business sectors, working in the outdoor education industry…

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